First Aid
by Seraphim Starlight
Summary: Sometimes a little healing can go a long way. Oneshot. [Asch x Natalia fluff]


**First Aid**

**By: seraphimstarlight**

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**Disclaimer: **I don't own Tales of the Abyss.

**Author's Note:** Takes place just after Akzeriuth.

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The journey to Belkend was far more difficult than any of the group had anticipated. Having left their primary healer in Yulia City so that she could facilitate healing of a somewhat different kind, the normally well-rounded group found itself down to but one healer who spent a great deal of her time covering the three frontline fighters.

"Pay attention!" Jade admonished the Princess as he impaled the Camo Wolf that insisted on interrupting his spell.

Natalia let an arrow fly, felling the beast that Jade had crippled. "I am!" she retorted angrily, firing another arrow and wounding another wolf that was lunging at her. The beast crumpled mid-air and fell to the ground only to be finished off by a particularly nasty punch courtesy of Anise and Tokunaga.

The younger girl smiled a wide smile that matched her doll's. "C'mon guys!" she said eagerly "Asch and Guy are still fighting over this way!" She gestured vaguely in the direction of Belkend, her doll mimicking her action.

The trio quickly caught up to the two swordsmen who, from the look of things, were having a rough time. The two were facing down a large pack of Camo Wolves, a handful of Veitchii and one particularly vicious Vouivre and had, until now been completely outnumbered. This in itself was not unusual—normally, they could be counted on to handle any number of enemies. However, the normally short road from Port Belkend to the City was made treacherous by the sheer number of monsters that had swarmed the group on their way to the city. And, with only one true Seventh Fonist, the group was eventually wearing down.

What was strange about this particular fight, however, was that Asch and Guy were fighting mere feet from the entrance to the city. Why they hadn't run past and returned to deal with the monsters later when they were healed, she didn't know.

"I swear," muttered Anise as she prepared to cast Negative Gate, "it's like every monster in the world is on to us today!"

Behind her Jade chuckled. "I'd hardly call this _every_ monster, Anise. There are so few here that, unfortunately, the money we'll earn won't even be enough to cover the costs of the inn, food, and medicines we will need to recover from fighting them."

Anise sighed. "And that means we end up paying out of our own pockets again! Agh! This is so not fair!" she burst out, dispatching several of the Veitchii with a single, sweeping blow.

Jade shrugged as he prepared to cast Stalagmite. "I suppose nothing ever is," he muttered to no one in particular as Anise had charged off into the fray, drawing most of the Veitchii away from Asch and Guy who were having some difficulty against the Vouivre which was attacking them from out of their range.

A large pillar of stone erupted in the middle of the battlefield finishing off the last of the Veitchii that had gathered near Anise. Startled, the girl stumbled backwards, nearly falling off her doll in the process.

"Hey, Colonel!" she cried, "Watch where you're aiming! You almost hit me!"

"My apologies, Anise," he quipped as he finished off another Camo Wolf with Thunder Lance, "I didn't quite see you there."

"Are you insinuating something, _Colonel_?" she asked as she swung at another Camo Wolf that had started towards her.

"Of course not, _Anise_," he replied as he cast Flame Burst, finishing the creature that she had downed. "I wouldn't _dream_ of it."

"Sure, whatever," muttered Anise, as she stepped back and began rummaging in her pack for something. After a few moments, she pulled out an Apple Gel and downed it quickly. "I needed that!" she exclaimed. "For a moment, I thought I was done for! Just what is Natalia doing! She's supposed to be healing us!"

"She's over there somewhere," he said, gesturing in the direction of the city.

Anise glanced over. The Princess was indeed over by the two swordsman, covering Asch who was preparing to cast Icicle Rain.

"Natalia!" Anise shouted as she and Jade joined the rest of their party, "you're supposed to be healing us!"

"I'm sorry, Anise!" she replied when she had backed away sufficiently from the fray. "They needed help!"

"It doesn't seem like it," the shorter girl muttered as she and the Colonel dealt with the remaining Camo Wolves.

Indeed, when Natalia looked back, the duo seemed to be faring much better now. In fact, Asch was fighting with as much enthusiasm as she had ever seen him do anything, and Guy seemed more alive than he had since before the destruction of Akzeriuth.

Although memories of that disaster still remained fresh in everyone's minds, at least now they felt somewhat better as they were working to prevent any such thing from ever happening again.

Maybe this string of routine battles was just what everyone needed to relieve some of the frustration that had built up after being unable to save Akzeriuth.

"Hey, Natalia!" Guy called, backing away from the fray, leaving Asch to finish off the Vouivre on his own, "I need some help over here!"

She nodded. "Right!" she replied as she began to gather seventh fonons to her.

Natalia wasn't certain exactly how or when it happened, but somewhere in between finishing off yet another downed enemy and healing Guy, Asch slipped through the cracks.

It wasn't until the Vouivre fell, grunting into the dust that she noticed he hadn't yet returned to where the group had congregated. She cast a frantic glance about the field but could not spot him. She looked to Guy who had been on the frontlines with him, but the swordsman didn't seem to know where Asch had disappeared to.

She started forward, continuing past the corpses of the monsters, searching desperately for any sign of his distinctive red hair. It wasn't until she had almost reached the city gates that she finally saw him slumped against a pillar, bleeding profusely from a large wound on his shoulder.

The sight of him in such a state erased all memory of her current situation from her mind, and she rushed forward, unthinking, never noticing that one of the fallen monsters wasn't quite finished off and was now headed for her.

Even from her distance, she could see Asch's expression change, his eyes widen half-wild with fear or panic, she couldn't tell which. Despite his injuries, the former God-General tried to push himself to his feet. He was too weak, however, and only ended up sinking futilely against the ground.

The wolf lunged for her, and she turned just in time to see it. She would have screamed, but she never got the chance.

A different yell rang out; what it was, she could not tell. There was a sudden blur of form and color, and, the next thing she knew, the beast landed in a whimpering heap a few feet away.

When her senses finally returned to her, she realized that someone was standing beside her.

"Geez, you have to be more careful than that," Guy sighed, keeping his eyes locked on the creature which was, again, pushing itself to its feet, "I almost didn't make it in time."

He braced himself as the creature lunged at them again. This time, however, the creature didn't even get near them, but rather it was taken down by a conveniently timed Energy Blast.

"Let's hurry!" Jade called as he and Anise advanced towards the city gates. "More of them are probably coming, and we don't want to get caught up in another fight!"

"Yeah," agreed Anise. "Asch is hurt really bad! He needs help on the double!"

The words jolted the stunned princess back to reality, and she again started for the fallen God-General. She tried to gather Seventh Fonons as she ran, but her mind was too disordered, too chaotic to call them properly. When she reached him, she started digging around in her item bag instead.

"Here, use this!" Guy called, tossing her a small vial.

Reflexively, she reached up and caught it and turned it over in her hand. A Life Bottle.

"Thanks," she told him before turning her attention back to Asch. She gave the redhead's uninjured shoulder a gentle shake. His eyes fluttered open.

"Asch," she told him quietly, "I'm going to give you something to drink, okay. Try to swallow all of it, okay?"

"Don't bother," he groaned, trying to shift position, "I'll be fine."

"No," she said, shoving the vial towards him, "you need to be healed."

"I said I'm all right!" he burst out, pushing her back.

"You need some medicine!" she protested.

"Don't be so stubborn, Asch," Guy chided. "Just drink the potion."

"I don't need it!"

"Yes you do!" exclaimed Anise. "Drink it already so we can take you to the inn!"

"I said no!"

"Oh enough of this!" Natalia huffed, quickly unscrewing the vial's cap. "You'll drink it one way or another!"

She pressed the tiny container to her lips and poured the liquid into her mouth. As though sensing what was about to occur, Asch struggled and tried to pull away, but Natalia was quicker, grabbing hold of a handful of his long hair in an uncharacteristically rough manner. She pulled his head back slightly, leaned towards him and pressed her lips against his, forcing the liquid down his throat.

When he had swallowed the last of the liquid, she pulled away, coughing violently.

"Now I see why he didn't want to drink it," she gasped. "I always forget how bitter those Life Bottles are."

"Well," said Anise with a weary smile, "At least Asch will be okay now, right."

Natalia returned the smile. "Yes, at least he's okay. Right, Asch?" she asked, turning back towards him.

He didn't answer.

"Asch?" she asked, her voice laced with worry.

He was slumped over, eyes closed.

"Asch!" She reached out to shake his shoulder.

"Wait!" said Jade stepping forward and pulling off one of his gloves before pressing his fingers the redhead's neck. After a long moment, he sighed and stepped away, replacing his glove as he did so.

"Colonel, is he…?"

Jade hesitated for an excruciating moment before saying, "Don't worry. He's fine."

Natalia let out a sigh of relief.

"In fact," Jade continued, slightly amused, "he appears to have fainted."

"Fainted?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes," he smiled. "It seems Princess, that your brand of first aid has had the opposite effect."

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_Omake_

By the time Asch awoke, the sun was already setting. He blinked a couple of times and ran a hand over his face, trying to clear the fog from his head. He looked around.

The inn? How in the hell did he get here?

As he sat up, he noticed that the edge of his bed was weighted down. A familiar blond princess knelt beside the bed, her head resting on the mattress, fast asleep.

Almost instantly, memories of what had occurred at the city gates came flooding back to him. His cheeks began to burn.

For all intents and purposes, she had _kissed_ him!

He turned back to look at her when she shifted slightly in her sleep. As he watched her, he was struck by a deliciously wicked idea.

If her kiss put him to sleep, then maybe…

He leaned towards her.

"Oh Sleeping Beauty," he whispered, "it's time to wake up."

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End file.
